A Fuedal Fairy Tale
by Gemini Star01
Summary: Kari is a feudal princess, the sister of the local Lord. Takeru is a young samurai, traveling with his friends and hiding a dark past. With a demon threatening a hostile take-over, will true love win through? *CH. 3 UP!!!!!!!*
1. Young Samurai

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Before anyone mentions it, yes, A Feudal Fairy Tale is the sub-title of the Inu-Yasha Manga. But it fits this story, as a lot of it is based from bits and pieces of the feudal lore in there. You'll see.

Hey…For once, I'm using the DigiDestined's Japanese names! I have no idea why…It just sounds better for the Sengoku period. (Usually I use the English dubs, 'cause they're the ones I can identify with) Okay…Not all of them. Yolei's stays the same, because I happen to like it, and I hate the sound of Miyako.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, nor do I own the Japanese Feudal Age. Duh.

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A Feudal Fairy Tale

Scroll 1: Young Samurai

Daisuke sighed, popping a crick out of his neck. "How much further?" he complained, tapping his sheaf anxiously.

Ken brushed his black hair back from his dark eyes. "Just a little." he sighed to his brown-haired companion. "Give it a rest, Daisuke. It's not gonna be much longer 'til we get there."

Daisuke sighed again, then glanced behind him at the other traveler. "Takeru, what're you doing back there?"

The blonde-haired young boy looked up. "What'd you say?" he asked quietly in a voice just barely above a whisper.

Ken and Daisuke dropped back to their friend. "What is with you today?" Ken asked, adjusting his sword's sheaf across his back. "You've barely said a thing since we started out. Somethin' bugging you?"

Takeru sighed, shaking his head like trying to get water out of his ears, although her knew that wouldn't get him off the hook. The three of them had been traveling together for almost three years. They were all young samurais, looking for adventure or refuge from the past. They'd trained together, lived together, and fought together. These two knew him better than anyone, and knew when he had something on his mind.

"It's nothing." he said out loud. "Nothing at all…"

"Takeru…" Daisuke grabbed his friend in a full hold around the neck. "Spill it."

"Yeah, 'fess up." Ken laughed, prying Daisuke's arm off Takeru before he strangled him. "What's bothering you?"

Takeru sighed again, brushing his bangs back. "Really, guys…It's nothing important." he muttered. "It's just…we're back in the Yagami domain, right?"

"Sure." Daisuke shrugged.

"And we're heading for the main city, right?" Takeru kept muttering. "Where the Lord lives?"

"Well, of course." Ken sighed. "What's wrong with…Oh…_Oh_…"

"What?" Daisuke asked, looking between the two. Ken had a very knowing look on his face. "What?!"

"The main city of Yagami's Realm…" Ken said slowly. "Is Takeru's hometown."

"_Oooooh._" Daisuke whistled, then gave Takeru a wide grin. "Thinkin' of some old sweetheart back home?"

"Sweetheart?!" Takeru exclaimed, turning red. "Daisuke, I left town when I was eight! What makes you think I had the _time_ for a crush?!"

Daisuke nodded. "Good point, I guess…"

"So whaddya gonna do once you get into town?" Ken asked, leaning over to hear better as they continued along. "Go out and see if you can find everybody?"

"Who's 'everybody'?" Takeru said, looking up for the first time. His crystal blue eyes flashed in the sun. "I'm an orphan, remember? I don't have any family."

"Hey, you've got us!" Daisuke laughed, slapping Takeru on the back.

"Yeah, we're family!" Ken added, smiling.

"Get real, guys." T.K. rolled his eyes. "Some family we make. We're not even from the same clan."

"Well, fine." Davis sighed. "So Ken's father's a theologian, you ran away from home, and I'm the youngest son of a retainer. But we're still family!"

Takeru groaned, and for a few moments the three were quiet. Then a slight memory sparked in Ken's mind. "What about your brother?" he finally asked. "Didn't you once say he was still alive?"

Takeru glared angrily. "He left before I did." he snapped. "He could be dead for all I know."

Ken dropped back after that. Takeru wasn't usually mean or snappish, but if you mentioned anything about his family…anything at all…it would set him off on something for one reason or another. Even his best friends didn't know why he was so edgy, it just happened…

"Here we are." Ken announced as they entered the gates of the city. "The head village of Yagami's Realm."

Takeru glanced around. White shacks dotted around them, all across the large, dirt road. A restaurant was open next to them, bustling with people, an inn stood waiting visitors on the other side and a red castle rose in the distance. He sighed inwardly. _Not much has changed…_

"So?" Daisuke asked. "What'll we do here? Not more demons, I presume?"

"Nope." Ken grinned. "In fact, we may be able to end our travels here."

The others looked at him questioningly. He pointed to a scroll mounted on wall, with black ink reading across the white parchment. "See?" he said. "The Lord around here is looking for a few good fighters. We should apply."

"Fine with me." Davis shrugged. "But if it gets boring, we'll be on our way, right?"

"Of course." Ken sighed. "But it probably won't be. This realm has a knack for attracting trouble."

~ * ~ * ~

"Yes, yes, very good" Taichi Yagami looked over the three young samurai who had entered the application. They'd been surprised when faced with this slightly unorthodox Lord, but had quickly grown to like him.

His brown hair was wild and spiky, but his eyes were gentle and kind, a deep shade of brown. His left arm was useless, it had been rendered so in war. And he was much younger than the other lords, maybe five years older than the three.

He smiled warmly at the three, nodding towards his scribe that set by the wall to the right. "So you three have been traveling together?"

"Indeed." Ken nodded. Daisuke and Takeru, sitting beside him, nodded as well and glanced at each other out of the corner of their eyes.

"And you completely trust each other?" Taichi asked.

"With my life, Lord." Takeru said quietly.

"Me too." Ken nodded.

"We're family." Daisuke grinned. Ken smiled at him, and, for the first time all day, Takeru did too.

"Well then." Taichi laughed, enjoying them. "It's settled then! You're all hired!"

The three samurais smiled wider and glanced at each other excitedly. Taichi clapped his hands together. "I think it's time you met your new commander. Yamato?"

Takeru choked on the name like a bad taste. The door slid open, and all three looked up.

A young man, about the same age as the Lord, stood in the doorway. His hair was blonde and spikier than Taichi, to their surprise. His eyes were a deep, dark blue and stern. He entered silently, giving the traditional bow to the Lord, then turned to the others. Ken and Daisuke lifted their heads expectantly. Takeru stared at the floor.

"Ah." Yagami sighed. "Men, this is our honored commander of the guard, Master Ishida. You'll be under him, of course."

"Of course." Ken and Daisuke chorused, but Takeru kept silent.

_Please don't let him notice me, please don't let him notice me…_ he whispered in his mind.

"Fine with you, Yamato?" Taichi asked, looking back.

"Very well, Lord." the man said, then gazed over the team. "In fact, if you will agree, I would like to start the training right away."

"Of course." Taichi nodded. "Go right ahead."

~ * ~ * ~

Yamato tapped the pole next to him with the wooden sword. "Alright then." he sighed, looking over his latest additions. "I'd like to see what you boys are made of."

Ken, Daisuke and Takeru examined the fake blades with slight interest. Yamato slapped the flat of his own into his opposite palm. "Alright." he exclaimed. "Who's first?"

Daisuke leapt to his feet. "Bring it on!" he exclaimed, leaping into the ring.

Yamato grinned, enjoying the boy's eagerness. But with a few quick moves he sent him flying and landing next to his fellows. "Who's next?"

Ken picked up his wooden sword. "I'll give it a try." he muttered.

Going the defensive, Ken managed to last a good five minutes before Yamato threw him out. Takeru sighed. _Hasn't changed a bit._

"Well?" Yamato insisted, tapping the floor impatiently. "Are you coming or what? Not _scared_ are you?"

Takeru sighed, then picked up his sword and stepped into the ring. Ken and Daisuke watched with interest as they faced each other, swords raised.

"Ready?" Yamato asked.

"Whenever you are." Takeru sighed.

The guard rushed forward, and Takeru defended, then struck his own, which was also blocked. And this went on for a good ten minutes, without either stopping.

"Whoa." Daisuke whistled. "I knew Takeru was good…but he knows Yamato's style perfectly."

"Hey, is it just me or do they look alike?" Ken whispered.

Yamato stopped to let them both catch a breath. "You're good…" he panted.

"Of course." Takeru grinned. "I learned from one of the best."

"Really?" Yamato grinned. "Bet he didn't teach ya…this!"

He suddenly swiped his sword forward. Takeru ducked, and noticed his leg coming from the other direction. If you weren't expecting it, it would have either sliced open your chest or knocked your legs out from under you. But Takeru knew these tricks.

As he ducked, he brought his sword back down and struck Yamato's leg. Have this been real, the Guard would have lost everything lower than his knee. He stumbled back, then recomposed himself. "How the…"

"I told you I was good." Takeru grinned, straightening.

"Oh?" Yamato leapt into the air, sword thrusting forward to strike. This trick would work for sure, it never failed!

As expected, Takeru blocked when he swiped downward. He pushed off the banister next to them and landed behind the boy, about to thrust forward into his chest…

To his surprise, Takeru already had the tip of his blade against his throat before he could strike. Yamato froze. In a real battle, if he moved an inch, he would've been skewered.

"We're through now." Takeru said quietly, pulling his wooden blade back and dropping it to the ground.

Yamato sighed. He knew when he'd been beaten. Takeru climbed off the ring to a round of congratulations from his friends. "That was amazing, kid." he said. "Tell me, who did you learn from? No one around here knows those moves but me, so who taught you?"

"You really should be able to answer that." Takeru muttered, glaring with dark eyes. "Who would _you_ teach them too?"

"Nobody." Yamato shrugged. "I've never taught anyone _those_ moves."

"There was one." Takeru's voice had gotten low. Ken and Daisuke stared at him. They'd never seen him like this before. "In case you're forgetting, I do believe _you_ taught them to me…_Brother._"

Yamato's eyes widened. Ken and Daisuke both jumped. Takeru remained very, very cold.

"_He's_ your _brother_?!" Daisuke squeaked.

Yamato stared at the boy. It couldn't be…it just couldn't be…but it was…

"Takeru?" he whispered, taking a shocked step forward. "You're…alive…?"

The boy picked up his real sword from the ground, slid it over his back, turned and silently walked away.


	2. Princess Light

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Ugh…Yeah yeah, I'm not very good with most details of the Sengoku Period. But I live in Middle-O-Nowhere, TX. I'm lucky just to get Inu-Yasha and my fill of Marmalade Boy or .Hack/Sign on a regular basis! It's tough being an otaku down here…

I forgot to warn you before hand about something…This story also concerns Kenyako! It's the first time I've done more than hinting about another relationship besides Takari! Hope you like it! (Ideas, please, helpful as always!)

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Disclaimer: You have a better chance of a DigiEgg popping out of the computer right now and landing in my lap than of me owning Digimon.

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A Feudal Fairy Tale

Scroll 2: Princess Light

"So your brother just ran off and left you there?" Ken asked, leaning over his bunk to look at Takeru, below him.

Takeru nodded, leaning back on his pillow and keeping his mouth closed about the details.

"Ouch." Davis muttered from the bunk across from them. "That says something for family relations."

Takeru closed his eyes and rolled over away from them. Ken nodded, leaning up to put out the lamp and plunging the bunkhouse into the darkness of night. After a few moments he was asleep, and Daisuke was snoring away. Takeru struggled with the thoughts of sleep a moment, but was finally content with his warm bed and dropped off like the other two.

_Out of the darkness, someone grabbed him roughly by the collar, hoisting him off his feet. The ground was almost four feet below the poor little boy, hanging fearfully in the older boy's grasp._

"I didn't see ya at lunch today, twerp." he growled viciously. "I missed that second serving…"

The arm snapped like a whip, sending the child flying. He hit the wall hard and crumpled in pain. His eyes filled with tears as the older boy kicked him in the stomach again and again. Then he laughed viciously, cracking his knuckles and preparing for another beating on the smaller boy, who trembled in fear.

"B-Brother…" he sobbed. "Yamato…Where are you? You said…you'd help me…Please, help me!"

Takeru burst awake. It took a few minutes of gasping for breath before he realized he wasn't lying in that cold, wet place behind the orphanage, but was still in that nice, dry, warm bunkhouse in the Lord's castle.

He stumbled out the door, into the warm spring night air. Once out in the courtyard he knelt by a basin of water and took a nice long drink.

There were quiet footsteps behind him. Always tense and ready, he waited until they were only a few feet back, then spun around with a long, thin piece of wood in hand to defend.

"Calm down!" Yamato put his hands up, showing he wasn't carrying a weapon. "It's just me!"

Takeru was not comforted. "What do _you_ want?" he spat angrily, tossing the wood away.

"I heard noises, thought I'd investigate…" Yamato muttered sheepishly. Takeru humphed, not buying his excuse, and went back to his drink.

Yamato sighed, sitting on the porch next to his brother. Takeru put the basin back down, but remained sitting with his eyes closed. For a moment neither said anything, then the elder leaned back to look at the other.

"Takeru…" he said slowly, his voice shaking. "…I thought you were dead…"

"The one _you_ knew is." Takeru growled, pulling his legs in and leaning over them. "I'm just some stranger who took his place a long time ago."

Yamato sighed hopelessly, and silence fell over them again. Then he tried again. "Takeru…I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Takeru asked in a mocking tone. "'Sorry' doesn't cut it."

"I didn't mean to forget about you." Yamato tried to explain. "It's just that…while I was training, I had to push some things aside…"

"Like me." Takeru snapped.

"Well, yeah…I mean, no!" the usually calm-headed Yamato panicked a bit at the slight of his own tongue. "I'd never…I _did _come back!"

"A little too late!" Takeru cried. Those awful memories were still panging in the back of his mind. "Four years and not even a letter! Let alone a visit or anything! Not a single sign that you were even still alive! What was I supposed to do?!"

"Takeru…" Yamato started, but the younger was already on his feet. With the speed that only a samurai could have, he was back in the bunkhouse with the door closed before his brother could finish his sentence.

Yamato sighed, brushing his bangs back from his eyes and staring after him. "Damn." he whispered after a moment, then left silently and easily.

~ * ~ * ~

The next few weeks went smoothly, despite bad brotherly relations. Takeru treated Yamato as a superior, nothing else. Yamato gave his brother the occasional longing glance, but otherwise he was just another subordinate.

About a week later, the three young warriors were spending some free time in a wood off to the side of the castle, practicing their archery, when Ken had a fateful encounter…

"Ready?" Daisuke asked, aiming his bow. "Aim…fire!"

The three arrows went flying. Takeru's hit a direct bulls-eye, while Daisuke's buried itself into the third ring. Ken, on the other hand, had never been a very good archer and was caught off-balance, so his went flying past the trees and into the grassy fields beyond.

"Smooth, Ken." Takeru laughed, watching it zip away. "You better go get that."

"Yeah yeah, I'm goin', I'm goin'!" Ken sighed, putting his bow down and heading forward. "And don't shoot while I'm over here, got it?"

He stepped through the woods to find that they ended three feet into the trees, opening up into great rolling hills of fresh green grass and beautiful flowers, ending in in the crystal-clear river that separated the village from the castle grounds. A wooden bridge connect the two, and a variety of young women were picking the flowers.

"Great…" Ken muttered with a sigh. "It had to land in the woman's flower field…"

He took a deep breath and started searching, trying not to draw attention to himself. The arrow's feathers would stand out pretty well, they were black and these flowers were white. It only took him about ten minutes to spot it.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, reaching for it. And as he did his hand touched another.

The owners of both hands looked up, locking eyes, and Ken found himself facing the cutest girl he'd ever seen. Her hair was long and dark, reaching her waist, and her eyes were enchanting green. She wore a gentle yukata, a summer kimono, in red with a white sash.

Ken straightened quickly, gulping. "Oh…" he gasped. "I'm sorry…"

The girl leaned down and picked up the arrow, handing it to him. "Here." she said, smiling gently. "I think this is yours…"

"Thanks…" Ken muttered, still blushing as he took it.

The girl giggled a bit at his embarrassment. "It's nice to meet you." she said with a respectful bow. "My name is Yolei."

"I'm…Ken." the boy muttered quietly.

Yolei nodded, smiling. "You're one of the new samurais, right?" she asked, folding her hands in front of her. "I work at the castle too. I'm one of the princess's handmaids."

"The Lord has a daughter?" Ken raised his eyebrows, surprised.

"No no, of course not!" Yolei giggled. "The Princess is Lord Taichi's younger sister! Really, where have you been?"

"Lost." Ken sighed, and Yolei laughed again. Ken's heart did back flips. _"What a girl…What a girl…"_ he kept saying over and over in his mind.

"Yolei!" another girl called from the distance. "Where'd you go to?"

"I'm coming, your highness!" Yolei called, then turned back to Ken a moment. "I've got to go. I'll see you around sometime, right?"

"Yeah, okay…" Ken muttered as she turned. "Bye…"

Yolei ran ahead, then turned back a moment. She was carrying a white wreath of flowers, something the woman made to give to their friends or, more romantically, their lovers.

"Here." she said quietly, blushing as she came to his side again. She put the wreath around his neck. Then, with one quick movement, she planted a kiss on his cheek. "Meet me sometime." she whispered sweetly in his ear, then ran back to her duties.

Ken stood there a moment, stunned, then his hand raised to touch his cheek in remembrance of the kiss. He wandered back to the archery field in a daze. Daisuke looked up from his spot as his friend entered. "There you are, Ken!" he exclaimed. "It's about time you showed up!"

"What took you?" Takeru asked, then spotted something that made him grin. "Oh…Who gave you the flowers?"

"Just…a girl…" Ken sighed, sitting down on the ground next to them. A dreaming blush was spreading over his cheeks as his fingered the white wreath. He folded his hands behind his head and leaned back against the grass with a contented smile.

Takeru and Daisuke grinned at each other mischievously. "Just 'a girl' huh?" Daisuke asked.

"Mm-hm…" Ken muttered quietly, not listening. His mind was already in the clouds.

~ * ~ * ~

Princess Hikari pursed her lips in concentration, bent over her task. Her room was filled with a quiet click-clack-click-clack sound of her loom, weaving intricate designs into her work. She did this quite often, it was one of her favorite pass times, when her suitors weren't around.

She sighed to herself. Suitors. They bothered her day and night, never letting up. Her brother had his power to marry her to whomever he thought best, someone who'd take care of her. But he didn't want to force her into anything, so always gave her a chance to get to know each one, all of whom she sent away. 

It's not that any of them were really bad. The thing was is they were all after her to increase their wealth. None of them actually loved her, and if she married for anything, she wanted it to be love.

"Yolei." she said suddenly, not really looking up. "Could you please hand me the green yarn?"

There was no answer. The princess looked up, finding her friend sitting at the sliding door and peaking out nervously.

"Yolei?" Hikari called again, and this time the other girl snapped around.

"Oh dear, I'm very sorry." she muttered, scrambling across the room for a spindle of green yarn.

The princess stood quietly, walking over to the screen. "What were you looking at out there?" she asked.

"Oh…" Yolei blushed. "Well…You know, those young samurais are practicing in the courtyard…"

"Ah." Hikari smirked, reaching for the screen so she herself could peak out. "You were watching that boy you met in the fields the other day, weren't you?"

"Well…uh…yeah…" Yolei muttered sheepishly. "I mean…he's…well, you know."

Hikari nodded and peaked out herself. Yes, that was him, alright. Dark hair, a deep look of concentration, definitely Yolei's type. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground, watching his friends in a practice duel. The Captain of the Guards was watching them, calling out occasional advice.

The princess's eyes came to rest on one of the young men dueling. Just one look and her heart skipped a beat, she drew in a sharp breath of surprise.

"Yolei…" she said slowly. "Do you know that boy out there, dueling?"

Yolei stood and looked out with her friend. "Which one?" she asked.

"The blonde one." Hikari whispered. "The one who's facing us."

Yolei examined the young man's face. Messy blonde hair. Crystal blue eyes. Pale skin, tanned slightly golden from the sun. She contemplated a moment before answering. 

"Well…I don't know his name." she muttered. "But you know, that's the one they say is Master Yamato's younger brother."

"I didn't know Yamato had a brother!" Hikari exclaimed, looking back.

"Apparently, neither did he." Yolei chuckled. "That boy's been presumed dead for almost eight years now."

Hikari looked back out the window, her heart panging every time she looked at that boy. This was it. This was what she'd longed for. Maybe it was only passion for a pretty face, as insincere as it was, but that was what she wanted. It was love. And she'd know his name soon.


	3. Meetings

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Feh…You don't know how hard it is to start these chapters…Sometimes I get a good rhythm and they just flow out. Other times I get distracted, and that causes…*sigh*… delays.

Part of the point of this story is that it's supposed to be unrealistic. It's kinda hard to explain…but any place with evil demons kidnapping young girls is defiantly not normal. And, according to my Inu-Yasha obsession, the daughters of local lords could be called princesses, but not like the king type or anything…

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Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. Nor do I own any hinting of Japanese folklore that may pop up here. It's just my weird little brain.

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A Feudal Fairy Tale

Scroll 3: Meetings

Takeru sighed, brushing himself off as he walked down the hall of the Lord's castle. It was their usual free time, and each was doing their own thing. Daisuke was currently snoring away in the bunkhouse, catching up on some much-needed sleep. Ken had snuck away on some 'pressing business'. By Takeru's guess, that meant he was sneaking off to see that pretty young serving maid.

And Takeru? Well, he didn't really have anything planned, so he wandered the castle and grounds around it for something to keep him busy. Mostly, he was lost in his own thoughts.

The door behind him slid open silently. Princess Hikari peaked out quietly. _"I knew I heard someone…"_ she thought happily. _"It's him! And with nobody around… Now's my chance!"_

She took a deep breath, composing herself, and brushed her skirt off. Then she stepped out, as dignified and ladylike as she could. "Excuse me, young man."

Takeru turned, locking eyes with her for the first time. His heart skipped about three beats. This girl was beautiful. Her hair was shoulder-length, auburn brown like a red wood tree. Her eyes were brown as well, and her face was as gentle and perfect as a china doll.

"Oh, yes?" he turned, "How may…I help you?"

Hikari smiled. He obviously didn't know that she was the princess, he wasn't treating her stuffy or anything. Just formal, gentlemanly. "I need a certain yarn for my weaving, but it's so high up I just can't reach it." she said shyly, waving her hand loftily to the door. "Could you please get it down for me?"

"Of course." Takeru followed her into the room, looking around. "Where is it?"

Hikari motioned upwards. There was a spool of red yarn sitting at the top of her cabinet. Takeru didn't know that she'd actually put it up there herself a little earlier, standing on a chair she'd pushed back outside so she really couldn't reach it.

"Up there." she said quietly, then sat back down at her weaving.

Takeru stretched up, reaching full-length, trying to grab it, although he could hardly see it. Hikari looked up at him as he stretched. "You're one of the samurais here, aren't you?"

"Yeah." he muttered, grinning. "Just came in last month."

Hikari brushed her bangs back, turning a bit pink. "And may I know your name, young samurai?" she asked quietly.

"Takeru." the boy sighed, pulling the yarn down and handing it to her with a smile. "My name is Takeru."

"Takeru." the girl tried it on her lips. It left a pleasant, giddy feeling in her heart. "I like that."

Takeru smiled, then cleared his throat. "And…Your name, my lady?"

"Hikari." she smiled up at him, putting the yarn down. "I'm Hikari."

"Hikari." Takeru whispered, then shook himself. "Oh…is that all?"

"Yes…" Hikari sounded a little reluctant. "I suppose you must…" An idea sparked in her mind, and she looked up at the tall boy hopefully. "Please, won't you let me give you just a little-bitty kiss? To thank you?"

Takeru blushed. "A…A kiss?" he asked quietly. "Oh gee, I really don't know…"

"Pretty please?" she asked, giving him big puppy-dog eyes.

Takeru swallowed, but then he nodded. Hikari stood so she could face him, and they grew so close…

"Princess!" a voice rang out suddenly. The two froze, and Hikari sighed, upset. "Princess Hikari!"

Takeru gaped at her, leaping back. "Princess?!" he gasped. "You never told me you were the Princess!!"

"You didn't ask." Hikari said shyly, blushing.

"Princess Hikari, where are you?" the voice rang out again. It was a woman named Takenuchi. She was the head of the household, in charge of keeping everything orderly. The younger girls, like Hikari and Yolei, called her Ms. Sora.

"Quick, you have to get out of here!" Hikari whispered, pushing Takeru out the back way.

"What's going on now?" Takeru gasped as he was pushed out onto the porch.

"Those annoying suitors are coming again." Hikari growled. "Not to mention, I'm not allowed to talk to the 'hired male help'."

The door slide shut. Takeru sat there a moment, then sighed and tuned to leave. And ran head-first into Yamato.

"Well well well." the captain snickered. Takeru jumped back, surprised. "Coming out of the Princess's room, are you? You know you shouldn't…"

"I was just helping her with something." Takeru muttered, blushing as he looked down.

"'Just helping' huh?" Yamato gave his brother a very stern look. "Uh-huh. Belief is with more than your ears, Takeru."

"Oh, back off!" Takeru snapped, again turning a bit red and forgetting to show the proper respect to the Captain. "What does it matter to you what I do in my spare time, or what the Princess cares to do with hers?"

He turned sharply around and began to return to the bunkhouse. Yamato stared after him a moment. "You should be careful, brother." he muttered under his breath. "Don't bite off more than you can chew."

Takeru stopped, turning back to look at him. He put up one finger, a serious glare in his eyes. "Don't." he warned. "call me brother."

Then he turned and left Yamato standing there, eyes downcast.

~ * ~ * ~

"Takeru." Daisuke leaned over from his bunk, snapping his fingers in front of his friend's eyes. "Hey Takeru, wake up!"

"Huh?" his blonde-haired friend opened his eyes. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

"You were daydreaming again." Daisuke rolled his eyes. "It's been three days, Takeru. Three days!" the brown-haired boy sighed, leaning back on his pillow. "You and Ken, I swear. The love-bug's gotten you both."

Takeru was quiet, but his friend continued. "At least his is plausible." he muttered, hanging his legs over the edge of the bed. "A servant girl is fine at our level, but the princess…? You might as well forget it, there's no way you can…"

Ken suddenly entered, cutting Daisuke off. He had that same look in his eyes that he always did when he came back from courting his own woman. "Speak of the devil." Dai sighed. "Hey Ken."

"Hey guys." Ken sat down on his bunk.

"How'd it go?" Takeru muttered, not really paying attention.

"Oh, you know…" there was silence a moment, then Ken piped up again, pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket. "By the way, Takeru, Yolei gave me a message."

"So?" the other boy muttered, eyes closed.

"It's for you." Ken waved it under his nose. "From the princess."

Takeru's eyes flew open, he sat straight up and grabbed the note, not even noticing when he almost hit his head on the bottom of Daisuke's bed. "Woah! Easy there, tiger." Ken snickered, letting him unfold it.

Takeru read the beautiful writing excitedly:

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My Young Samurai,

I do long to see you again. If you can get away, I beg you to meet me at the bridge which divides our grounds from the village, tonight. I await you eagerly.

Hikari

Takeru read it over again to make sure he hadn't seen it wrong. Then he leapt to his feet, scrambled for his shoes, and made a beeline out the door before anyone could ask about it.

When he reached the bridge, she was already waiting for him. She'd obviously borrowed one of the other girl's kimonos, for it was much shabbier than a princess disserved.

Takeru had the sudden urge to rush to her, and to hold her close, but he restrained out of pure courtesy. When she saw him, however, she rushed forward and threw her arms around his neck. "Takeru!" she sighed happily in his ear. "It's so wonderful to see you!"

"P-Princess…" Takeru gulped, and his arms automatically wrapped around her waist. "I…I…I don't know what to say…"

"Don't worry." she whispered, brushing a small kiss on his cheek. "Let's just enjoy ourselves…A nice, long walk in the moonlight…It'll be good for us…"

Takeru loved the idea, and together they walked along the bank. It was so perfect, neither one wanted it to ever, ever end.


End file.
